Mop gripping unit for mop shaking machines



1948- c. TURNEPSEED 2,453,943

.MOP GRIPPING UNIT FOR MOP SHAKING MACHINES Filed April 5, 1945INVENTOR. C(a z-ezzce 72 T77 S ee 05 v BY Patented Nov. 16, 1948 MOPGRIPPING UNIT FOR MOP SHAKING MACHINES Clarence Turnepseed, Springfield,Ohio Application April 5, 1946, Serial No. 660,015

Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and simplifiedmechanism for securely gripping and holding mop handles during theoperation of imparting a vigorous shaking movement to the mop for thepurpose of cleaning the same.

The invention is an improvement in machines for cleaning dust mops anddust cloths of the character of that shown in my co-pending application,Serial No. 568,304, filed on December 15, 1944 which issued January 6,1948 as Patent Number 2,434,022. The basic idea, common to both theaforesaid application and the present application, is that a rapidoscillatory movement is imparted to a member that is held at aninclination with respect to the vertical (preferably at an angle ofabout 30) said member being provided with gripping means for holding thehandle of the mop substantially vertical. The net result is to impart avigorous vertical shaking movement to the mop, both up and down and backand forth.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawin wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the holder constituting the essential featureof the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a mo cleaningmachine of the character shown in my aforesaid application;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the drawings, numeral 5 designates the casing of a mop cleaningmachine which comprises a transverse support 6, a central portion i ofwhich is inclined or disposed at an angle of substantially 30. Thisportion I has tapped into it a shouldered screw 8. This screw ispreferably provided with a freely rotatable bushing 9 and this bushingand screw provide a pivotal support for a tong or plier-like structure,consisting of two jaws, iii and Ii. The jaw H in addition to its mainstructure carries an apron or web I2 which extends laterally andunderlies the jaw it. This apron carries an ear IS in which anunthreaded portion of a screw I4 is mounted to turn. This screw is heldagainst endwise movement with respect to the car by washers l5 and pinsit or equivalent device. The outer end of the screw is shaped toconstitute a crank that is provided with a handle I8. The threadedportion of the screw engages a threaded block l9. Ears an of this blockare connected by pivots 2| with the inner end of links 22 and 23. Theouter ends of these links are pivotally connected to the ears 24 and 25formed at the rear ends of the jaws l0 and II, respectively.

It will be readilyunderstood that when the screw I4 is turned to bringthe links 22 and 23 into alignment with eachother, the forward ends ofthe jaws i0 and II will be forced together under an extremely powerfulleverage, such leverage being the combined action of the screw I4 andthe toggle action of the links 22 and 23, and thus the forward ends ofthe jaws will be caused to very forcibly grip the handle of a mop, saidhandle being indicated at 26. The webs Illa and i la representing thebody portions proper of the jaws Hi and Ii are indicated in Figure 4 andsince these jaws are carried by a pivot that is inclined at an angle of30 with respect to the vertical it follows that the tong-like structurealso, as a whole, lies at an angle of approximately 30. However, thoseportions of the jaws which actually contact and grip the handle 26 ofthe mop consist of ribs or flanges lDb I lb and these flanges arevertical flanges (See Figure 4) Rapid-oscillating motion about'the pivotconstituted by the bolt 8 may be imparted to the tonglike structure by areciprocatory connecting rod 521, this rod-corresponding to thereciprocatory connecting rod l8 of my aforesaid application. The meansfor imparting reciprocation to the rod I8 constitutes no part of It isclear that any simple motor-driven crank mechanism will eflicientlyserve this purpose. I preferably make the pivotal connection between therod 21 and the jaw II, which it engages, a loose one, the purpose ofthis being to provide an additional jerk to the structure for thepurpose of aiding in shaking the dirt loose from the mop.

I also contemplate supporting a transverse arm 28 from the web l2. saidarm carrying a conventional spring clip of the spring clothes pin type,indicated at 29. This clip serves the function of clamping a dust clothto the arm so that the dust cloth may be shaken in the same way that themop is shaken.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction set forth but that it includes within its purview, whateverchanges fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of theappended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim l. A device of the characterdescribed comprising a tong-like structure, means for mounting saidtong-like structure for bodily oscillation in a plane inclined withrespect to the vertical,

the present invention.

means carried by the tong-like structure shaped and dimensioned to gripa mop handle and hold it in a substantially vertical position at anintermediate position of the tong like structure along its path ofoscillation and manually operable means for forcing the tong-likestructure into tight gripping engagement with said handle.

2. A device oft the. character." described; com prisinga-support,.including a pivotzinciinediwithl respect to the vertical, atong-like structure comprising a pair of jaws pivotally mounted upon;said pivot, mop handle grippingportionacarried. by said jaws, and meansfor'imparting'oscillastion to the tong-like structure as a Whole, saidgripping portions having gripping: surfacesadisi posed at such an angleas to holdthe mop,hand1esi substantially vertical at anintermediatepointin the oscillation of the tong like structure; a

3. A device of the character described, comprisingia suport; including,at pivot inclinedawithl-rer spect to the verticaha tong like.structureecomt prising a pair of jaws pivotally mountedru'pon. saidpivot and; movable inia, plane perpendicular to: the axis'iofsaid-pivot; moprhandle grip.- ping; portions carriediby; said jaws-,,the gripping: surfaces of: wl'iichrliersubstantiallm vertical at anintermediate position of: the; tong-i like structurealbngeitsw path ofoscillationameanslfon impart ing: oscillation? to the: tong-likestructure as, a

W-hOiEt abouti said: inclined pivot; and means forimparting? gripping;-action tto-the tong like. struc-= ture comprising: a manually;operablerscrew" and means engaging said: screw with: the. tongalilee.stmcturezwl'iichpermitszrotation of the-screw-butprevents;endwisemovement; of the screwwith, respect tmthe tong-likestructureyand: toggle: mechanismzengaged with therrscrew and: .Withr-thajawsrof: the toner-like structure for; imparting gripping actiomt'ovsaidz j aws underfthe combinedactionmofzthe; screw and the-toggle,mechanism,

said t'oggl'emechanism and screwswinging boda ilfy witln thertongelike-structure in its oscillation;

419111, a? device? off the character: described, the? combinationwithsaisupporta of 5a pivot'carriedji by said support andz-inclinedawith: respect: to. the ventical; a: tong-likestructure: mounted inn os--cill atiomabout -said: pivotzirr a planeperpendicularitmtheiaxisirofwsaidxpivotfiand comprising a pain of'jturzs having: reax ends and forwardz ends, a

threaded block, toggle links connecting said block with the rear ends ofsaid jaws, a cranked screw having threaded engagement with said block,means mounted upon one of said jaws with which the inner end of saidscrew is engaged and which holds said screw against endwise movementwith respect to said jaw while permitting saidscrew toetum, and.flanaescarried, by the ionwardends .ofi'said jawsshaped t'ozengage thehandle of the mop under the combined action of the screw and togglelinks, which flanges lie in substantially vertical planes at anintermediate positi'oirof 'the-tong'like structure along its pathofoscillation.

5 Thepombination with a support of a pivot carried by said support andinclined at approximateIy'a'BW 'angIe with respect to the vertical,along-like structure comprising a pair of confronting jaws mounted uponsaid pivot for movement toward,,and from; each other, one of said jawsembodying alateraliweb which underlies the otherof saidjaws; anearcarriedxbysaid web, a screw mounte'd'to turn in said ear, said weblying, immediately over" said. support, means for thrusting'tl'ierearendsof the jaws forcibly apart to thereby bring their forward endsforcibly together, means for: imparting oscillation to the tong likestructure about said pivot and flanges outstanding" from the forward endof the jaws said; flanges. being shaped and dimensioned to engage a mophandle" andilying; inisubstantiall'y vertical positions at'anintermediate position of the 'tbnglike'structure along itspath'ofoscillation.

CLARENCE TURNEPSEED.

It-EFERENGES CITED Theafollowingreferences. are of record in thefile-oft this patent:

- UNITED 'STATES PATENTS Number. Name, Date 51,5917; Stockmar. ..,Aug.21, 1866 1,1l0l4521 Mtliot .Sept. 15, 1914' 1288,1781 Plowhead .Dec. 17,1918 1,799,833 Swanson, Apr. '7, 1931 1,913,606 M'cKenna Junev 13, 19332,152,965 Kerseyi- Apr. 4, 1939 2284349 Rodess. May 26,1942

